BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2107

By: Capriglione

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the barriers farmers and small-scale food producers face due to uncertainty with regulatory compliance, such as when a local health jurisdiction refuses to answer questions on the applicability of a regulation or gives conflicting answers. H.B. 2107 seeks to address these concerns by imposing on a local health jurisdiction certain requirements regarding the provision of requested information or a determination pertaining to food regulation.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2107 amends the Health and Safety Code to extend to a local health jurisdiction certain statutory requirements applicable to the Department of State Health Services regarding the provision, on request, of information or an official determination pertaining to the regulation of food. The bill defines "local health jurisdiction" as a public health district, county, or municipality that regulates food service establishments, retail food stores, mobile food units, temporary food service establishments, or roadside food vendors. The bill applies only to an applicable request for information or official determination made to a local health jurisdiction on or after January 1, 2020.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.